Phantom Shots
by GreyLiliy
Summary: One Shots for Danny Phantom. Ratings and Content will vary and be noted accordingly. [Nine: Vlad has a story to tell Daniel, and he rather thinks the boy will enjoy it.]
1. Football and Father Son Talks

_I have always been of the opinion that Jack is smarter than he appears in show. He's easily excitable, distracted and forgetful—but he's not stupid. Jack has feelings that can be hurt, and he cares very much for his family and friends. His relationship with Vlad has always been of interest to me, just because he's so gung-ho about Vlad being his best friend. When Vlad ran for mayor sticks out the most. Jack was just so over supportive I loved it. _

_Particularly because Vlad makes absolutely zero effort to hide that he dislikes Jack. At any point. He's very obvious about it—there's no way Jack hasn't noticed. Anyway, just wanted to write a little fic with Danny confronting his Father about that. :3_

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Characters: Jack Fenton, Danny Fenton and Vlad Masters.

Rating: PG for Alcohol references.

Summary: "Please tell me you noticed he did that on purpose." Danny confronts his father when Vlad's teasing goes a little too far in Jack's own home. His father's answer isn't quite what Danny was expecting. (No/Before "Phantom Planet")

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**Football and Father Son Talks**

"Sorry Jack!" Vlad exclaimed, the fake sincerity dripping with so much vitriol that Danny had to roll his eyes. The man closed the freezer door, covering his grin with his mouth as he got a good look at his handy work: Jack Fenton rubbed his bruised nose, wincing from the impact of the door. Vlad cooed, "Didn't see you there!"

Considering Danny's father was the practically size of a small elephant, Danny doubted that.

"It's okay, V-Man!" Jack said, giving a thumbs up as Vlad overturned the ice tray he had retrieved, dumping the cubes into the beer bucket. Jack took the bucket from him and headed back to the couch. "Accidents happen!"

"Sure do," Danny said, glaring at Vlad. The rich man took a seat as far from Jack as possible on the couch, and crossed one leg over the other. The commercials blared loudly, and Danny contemplated kicking the back of Vlad's seat. "Especially when you're over."

Vlad pulled out a still warm beer with a smirk, ignoring Danny's comment. He popped the cap off using the edge of the metal bucket and took a long sip. Jack turned up the television when the game came back on, and for a while there was peace in the house with all three keeping their eyes on the game.

Danny pulled a foot up on his chair and sighed. At least it was a Packers game and Vlad's full attention was on the screen. Danny didn't think he could have handled Vlad causing Ghost trouble alongside teasing his dad. There were worse ways to spend an afternoon than watching the man who wanted to murder your dad share beers with your dad.

An hour or so later, Jack and Vlad both hollered in a cheer, leaping out of their seats when the Packers hit the scoring touchdown. Danny rolled his eyes, annoyed that Vlad's team won, but also happy and relieved his dad could be happy about something not Ghost related. Danny stretched, getting up from the kitchen chair he'd relocated to the living room behind the couch, and dragged it back over.

"What a game, right, V-Man!?" Jack exclaimed, smacking his buddy in the back. He fist-pumped the air, and laughed. "What a game!"

"I expected nothing less," Vlad said. He sat back on the couch, stretching out his spine and leaning into the worn seat before pulling out his cell phone. "They've been on point this season."

"This was fun, Vlady! You should come over to watch the game with me more often," Jack said, plopping back on the couch. His weight sent Vlad up in the air an inch before he came back down. Danny snickered as Vlad tried to shove his hair back down and keep in the urge to hit Danny's father. Ignorant of Vlad's irritation, Jack grinned over at Vlad. "You, me, Danny! We had a real boy's night here!"

Danny groaned in the back, wincing when Vlad smirked at him. The only reason he'd accepted this stupid invite in the first place was to pick on Jack and annoy Danny. It figured his dad would practically hand Vlad free range of the house when Mom and Jazz were off having some mother-daughter bonding. At least Vlad had contained his evil to the bare minimums.

"We'll see," Vlad said, clicking his phone closed. "But for now, my ride is here. See you later, Daniel."

Danny bit his lip, holding in his comment that Vlad hadn't said anything to his father.

"Yeah, bye-bye, _Uncle_ Vlad," Danny said, drawling out the word 'Uncle' until Vlad's eye twitched. He mouthed right after, "Good riddance."

Vlad may have knocked into the table standing up, sending a few beer bottles to the ground. They shattered on the carpet and he held a hand over his mouth. "Oops, looks like I may have had one too many, Jack."

"Hey, that's what guy's nights are for and since you've got a ride, definitely no problem!" Jack said, smiling brightly. He stepped over the mess and walked Vlad to the door. "Danny and me'll take care of that! Have a good night, V-Man."

"I will," Vlad said, tersely. He waved at Danny before stepping down the stairs and getting into the waiting limo.

Jack closed the door, and Danny walked up to him with a sigh on his face. He looked at the shattered beer bottles and back at his dad. This time Vlad had gone too far with his stupid jabs at Jack.

"Please tell me you noticed he did that on purpose," Danny said, waving at the broken bottles on the carpet.

"Nah, Vlady's just a light-weight," Jack said, stepping over to the coffee table. He started stacking the still whole leftover bottles into the bucket. "Guy's the size of a twig. Can't hold his beer."

"I don't think he's drunk, dad," Danny said. He crossed his arms and rubbed the side of his cheek. Danny mumbled, "He also hit you with the freezer door."

"Accident," Jack said, smiling. He waved Danny's concerned look away with his hand, and chuckled heartily. "Look, I know Vlady can be a little uncoordinated, but he's still my best friend. I think you're being a bit hard on him considering how many beakers you've dropped at school.

"Hard on him?" Danny asked, stomping over to the kitchen and grabbing a broom and dust pan. He helped himself to sweeping up the glass before his father had to bend over to get it. "What about him being hard on you? He also, if you recall, knocked your food plate off the counter, nearly stabbed your arm with the steak knife—your suit is even ripped still—and then that thing with the freezer door and the beer. And that was just today!

"Every time he comes over something happens to you and he does that fake apology thing!" Danny swept up the last of the glass, staring at the shining shards of brown glass instead of looking at his father. He bit his lip, wanting to say the rest of it, too:

_Vlad wants to kill you. He hates you. Vlad has already tried to murder you. He wants to marry mom. He's not your friend. Vlad lies to you. Vlad has tried to kill you!_

But unable to say those things, Danny settled for the still very truthful: "He's so mean to you. Why do you put up with it?"

"If I don't, who else will?"

Danny looked up, and his heart skipped a beat.

Jack Fenton smiled at his son, but it was strained and sad. An expression that had no place on his happy, ghost-enthusiast, jumpsuit wearing father. Jack sat on the couch and patted the seat next to him. Danny sat next to him, setting the tray full of glass on the table.

"Vlad's a lonely man, Danny, and that's not healthy," Jack said, saying something that Danny had long known. But how long had his father? Jack ruffled Danny's hair, and let out a short laugh. "People shouldn't be alone, and that includes Vlad. I'm the only friend he's got, and if I leave, then where will he be?"

"He brought that on himself, don't you think?" Danny asked, pulling his knees up to his chest.

"Maybe, maybe not," Jack said, shrugging. He rubbed his palm on his knee and sighed. Danny watched his Dad's face, every wrinkle that formed on his brow as his face concentrated on the words he wanted to say. "I've got regrets in my life, Danny. I'm the forgetful type, so often they go away as soon as I get them, but seeing Vlad at that reunion brought one back.

"And I haven't been able to shake it," Jack laughed. He licked his lips and leaned his head back, staring at the ceiling. "That was the first time I'd seen him in twenty years, and everything felt so wrong no matter how much I lied to myself about it. Me and Maddie used to do everything with Vlad. Work, go to football games, hang out. But you knew that part, I already gave you the best friends and roommates description."

"He was nice to you then?" Danny scoffed. He'd bet his ghost powers that Vlad only hung out with his Jack to see Maddie. "Somehow I have a hard time believing that, even if he was your 'best friend.' "

"No," Jack said. He reached over and ruffled Danny's hair hard, before leaving his hand on Danny's head. "But he wasn't really a people person. Even when Vlad tried to be nice it came out wrong. It was hard to tell when he was being mean and when he wasn't. Vlad was mostly, cranky, but I didn't mind so much.

"How could I?" Jack laughed suddenly, rubbing the side of his eye. Danny ignored the shine there, and the hint of excess liquid in his dad's eyes. "I lived with the guy."

"Still sounds like you were better off without him," Danny muttered into his hand.

"We were," Jack said. He squeezed his fingers in Danny's hair before dropping his hold. He grabbed both of his knees with his hands and hunched over. "And that's what I regret."

Danny waited patiently for his dad to continue.

"We were his only friends, Danny," Jack said. "Me and Maddie. And after the accident, we sent him a get well card and that was it. He was still mad, so I gave him his space, and we lost touch. Your mom and I drowned ourselves in our work and somewhere around there we started dating. It was just so easy to never pick up the phone, or call and before I knew it twenty years had went by. Truth be told, I barely thought about him. How do you just forget someone you were that close, that quick?

"And Danny, when I saw him at that reunion," Jack's voice cracked. "It hit me how badly I'd screwed up."

"Dad?" Danny asked.

"Took me a minute of course," Jack said. "I'm sure you noticed. I referred to him as my 'Old Pal Vlad' even though we hadn't seen each other in years, assumed I was forgiven and realized that wasn't the case when he slammed the door in my face.

"It was easy to notice from that point just how badly things had gotten," Jack said. His gaze locked on a spot just above the television screen. He was watching something that wasn't in Danny's living room. Old memories. Jack shook his head, rubbing the back of his neck. "Vlad was always a little mean, but he was never that cruel. That angry. And I couldn't help but wonder if he'd still be like that if I'd tried harder to patch things up after that accident. Maybe things would be better if he'd had a friend or two along the way."

"Dad, it's not your fault he turned into a jerk," Danny said. He pushed on Jack's arm, and shook it. "The acne might have been your fault, but all that bitterness is all him! You're not the only one who could have picked up the phone and called, you know?"

"Maybe, maybe not, Danny," Jack said. He stood up and grabbed the tray full of broken glass. "All i know for certain is that right now I'm still the only friend he's got, because frankly, Maddie wants nothing to do with him.

"And before you open your mouth," Jack said, rolling his eyes and cutting Danny's intended sentence off. "Yes, I know that because he's been hitting on your mother. She tells me things like that."

"So what? You're just going to ignore him being mean to you because you want to be his friend again?"

"Yup!" Jack said, dumping the glass in the trash bin. "That's sums it up! Whether he likes it or not, Vlad needs at least one person he can count on and I plan to be that person."

"Dad, he hates you," Danny argued. He climbed off the couch, stepping on a chip bag on the floor. He slammed his hand on the table. "It's not worth it, and one of these days he might take it too far and actually hurt you. You should just leave him alone."

"Can't do that, Danny," Jack said. He dropped the empty beer bottles in the recycling bin and dropped the bucket into the sink. "Already made up my mind!"

"The dude's a lost cause!" Danny said.

"No one is a lost cause, Son," Jack said. He poked Danny in the forehead and smiled wide enough to show his teeth, big and bright and something much more familiar on his face. "Trust that your old man knows when too much is too much, and right now I can handle V-Man and his tantrums."

"Tantrums," Danny snorted. He looked at the broken glass in the trash and laughed. "That's one way to put them."

"I thought it was nice," Jack said. He dusted his hands off and looked around at the mess in the living room. The leftover bottles of beer he'd missed, Danny's cans of soda, the chip bowls, the salsa and cheese dips, and all sorts of napkins and plates leftover from their football viewing. Jack cleared his throat, "We really should clean all this up before your mother comes home."

"Right," Danny said. He grabbed a trash bag and headed into the disaster area to clean up the worst of it. His dad came right behind him, oddly helpful considering how fast he normally shirked chores. Danny squeezed his grip on the trash bag. "Hey, dad?"

"Yes, son?" Jack hummed, dumping the chips from the bowl into their bag.

"Be careful with Vlad, okay?" Danny said. Plasmius' hateful glaring entered his mind against his will. And he sucked in a breath. "I know you feel bad about what happened to him, but sometimes people change."

Jack hugged Danny, a tight bear hug that made him drop the trash bag and lifted him flat off the ground so that his feet hung around Jack's knees.

"I know that you're worried about me, Danny," Jack said. He squeezed the boy tightly before dropping him back down. Jack slapped Danny on the arm and pointed at his chest. "But you don't have to worry. I hunt GHOSTS for a living, kiddo! Next to that, V-Man is nothing I can't handle.

"So stop freaking me out with all that words of wisdom stuff you shouldn't know at your age yet," Jack said, ruffling Danny's hair. He looked up and held his chin, mumbling to the side wall. "Pretty sure you got that from your mother."

Danny laughed, smoothing his hair down. "Nah, I'm sure I got a little of it from you."

"Great!" Jack said. "Now let's get this clean, and remember!"

"We don't tell mom we had a football party with Vlad over," Danny said rolling his eyes. "I remember."

"Good boy!" Jack said.

As his father went back to cleaning, turning his back to his son and picking up the remainders of their afternoon, Danny moved a little slower as he stuffed trash in the bag. His mind raced with new information, and half wondered how Vlad would feel about it all.

Half the fun he had teasing Dad came from the belief that Jack "didn't notice" Vlad did it on purpose.

For now, Danny figured he could keep that to himself. He couldn't break his dad's confidence that way, unsure if his Father even really wanted to tell him all those things he knew about Vlad. Jack knew that Vlad hated him, and he didn't care. However much sense that made.

Jack was right. Danny was too young to try and understand this mess.

He shoved the last chip bag into the garbage bag and tied the top. However it turned out, Danny promised that if it ever did get too much for his dad to handle, he'd be there to knock Vlad into next week.

"You think your mother would be mad if I invited Vlad over for your birthday? That'd be fun right? All of us together as a family?" Jack asked, opening the garage door to dump the trash bags. "I think I'll ask now so she can't say anything!"

As his dad raced to the Fenton Phone, Danny covered his eyes with his hands and collapsed on the couch.

Why did things that made both Vlad and his Dad happy have to make Danny miserable?

"Hey said yes!" Jack called from the other room, and Danny may or may not have knocked over the coffee table when he stood up.


	2. No Escape (PhannieMay15 Day 2)

**For Phanniemay15, Day 2 - Portal**

_Did artwork for Day 1, so for Day 2 we'll get a fanfic that explores the theme of Portals! Specifically, how important they are for that oh so wonderful thing that is travel between worlds. Mwa ha ha ha. Decided to have some fun (such as giving Pariah Dark a little more authority/power than he might actually have) and play around with a little Father-Son Walker &amp; Danny that's been itching at me. The joys of one-shots. Happy reading!_

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_Characters:_ Danny Phantom, Walker

_Rating:_ G/K+

_Summary:_ The Ghost Zone and the Living World were two sides of the same coin, both needed each other to exist. However, that doesn't mean they have to be in contact. Pariah Dark awakes and decides to shut the doors and get a better grasp on his citizens. All Ghosts had better be on the right side of the door when he closes it, whether they want to be there or not.

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**No Escape**

The portal closed.

Danny came to a halt a few feet from the space where the natural portal had been seconds before. He held his hands up, groping the space where the swirling green vortex disappeared into a pin-point sized blip before fading away. Pariah's skeleton soldier took a second to snicker at the Ghost Child before disappearing in a flash to head to the next one.

"No!" Danny shouted. He turned tail and flew off toward the next portal without hesitation. He had to beat one of them to a portal. He _had_ to. Danny searched around him frantically, looking for any exit. "This is so bad."

"Give it up, son," Walker said, teleporting into Danny's view. He barely came to a stop before smashing into the warden's chest. Walker sighed, his face drawn and tired. "You're just going to run yourself thin, and ya' might want to consider saving that energy.

"You're going to need it," Walker finished. Danny moved to fly around him and keep going when Walker grabbed his arm. He twisted it behind Danny's back and before he could even think to go human he heard Walker whisper harshly in his hear. "For once in your life, stop being so stubborn and listen to your betters."

"Not seeing much of a better right now," Danny argued back. He turned his head, staring around the empty Ghost Zone. Nothing but the swirling clouds and floating doors. Not a portal in sight. "Why are you helping him anyway?"

"I'm not," Walker said. He let go of Danny's arm and floated there. "But facts are facts, and he's out whether we want him to be or not. And Pariah Dark's king which means he makes the rules."

"And we all know how you love rules," Danny said. Every second he talked with Walker was another portal being shut down by Pariah's men. They'd already destroyed the one at his house. And the natural portals were flickering out of existence as soon as they could find them. But Danny yelled all the same. "I bet you're loving this. No Portals to the human realm means no real escapes, am I right? Who can get away from you in here?"

"Think what you want, son," Walker sighed. The man tipped his hat down and looked around him, and huffed. "Either way, I'm taking you back to the others. Better you save yourself some trouble and be there when he goes looking, because last thing we need is a head hunt for your tail."

"Yeah, there's a plan," Danny snorted. "Just hand myself over to be destroyed."

"I know you think big of yourself kid, but pretty much all of us had a hand in locking him up," Walker said, crossing his arms. He leaned down, slowly growing bigger as he spoke. "And we all certainly had a part in keeping him locked up. If he were out for our ectoplasm, I can promise you we'd all be in the hot seat."

"So what? He just wants to have us all sit around for a tea party?" Danny asked. "He's locking us all in!"

"You'll have to ask him that yourself," Walker said. He reached for Danny's upper arm and tugged. "And all I know is it's better for all of us if he doesn't have to go looking for you once he finishes with this whole sealing the Ghost Zone thing."

"You can't keep me here," Danny said, voice low. The fear snuck into his words against his will. "I don't belong here! I'm not dead!"

"You're not," Walker said, still holding onto Danny's arm. The warden stared at him, with something akin to pity in his eyes, but it was quickly washed away with the hardened glare of an authoritarian. Danny felt the tug of teleportation and cursed when they reappeared in the center of Walker's prison. "But you're more dead than you are alive, and as far as Pariah Dark is concerned that mean's you're his.

"So unless you want to end up dead for real," Walker said, lowering his voice. The threat in it was unmistakable. "I suggest you keep your hair white and eyes green for the time being and don't give him a reason to try and purge that other half of you out."

"Well, maybe if I could get to a natural portal before they get rid of them all, I won't have to worry about that," Danny said. He shook his head, running his hands through his hair. There had to be another one left. Had to be. "Instead of you know, wasting time here!"

"They're all gone, kid," Walker said, shoulders drooping. "You weren't the only one looking, and Plasmius came back about an hour before I caught up with you in worse shape than I've ever seen. If he couldn't find one by now, you certainly aren't.

"You're trapped, kid. So stop thinking of escape, and start thinking about how to keep that hide of yours in one piece."

"Why do you care?" Danny asked, crossing his arms and holding himself. The purple walls of Walker's prison kept his sight from the endless green outside.

"I want you to serve your time, Son," Walker huffed. The warden wrapped his knuckles on the back of his precious rule book that sat on his desk. "Not dead."

Danny flinched.

"And I know quite a few of the others would say the same," Walker said. Danny watched him from the corner of his eye and went to suck in a breath—but didn't. No lungs in ghost form. Right. Danny squeezed his arms around him tighter as Walker kept talking. "And I'm sure a few of them would want to help you out should you do something stupid, which would get them in trouble right with you."

"So like I was saying," Walker started. He adjusted his hat and headed toward the door. He opened the knob and looked over his shoulder with a huff. "Watch that mouth of yours for all of our sakes."

"So we're just going to sit back and let him take over again?" Danny asked, voice low. "No fighting back?"

"Now I didn't say that, Son," Walker said, smirking out the corner of his mouth. "Just reminding you young punks that sometimes it's better to bide out your time and wait for the right moment."

Walker left the room, shutting Danny behind alone in the office. He floated over to Walker's desk and sat on the edge in the dark room. He stared at the ceiling and held a hand over his core, pulsing softly where his heart would be if he were human. Wait.

Danny could wait.

Pariah couldn't keep all the portals shut forever, so until then, he'd play Walker's game.

What other option did he have?


	3. Awake In Dreams (PhannieMay15 Day 4)

**Phanniemay15 Day 4 - Dream**

_Miserable, longing, bittersweet Vlad makes me happy. How could I not write about it when you get a theme as great as Dreaming? Also explored a fake side effect of ghost powers I thought would be fun: Lucid Dreaming._

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_Characters:_ Vlad Masters, Daniel Masters

_Rating:_ K+

_Summary:_ Of all the oddities his ghost powers brought Vlad, Lucid Dreaming was by far the worst. Only full awareness of his situation could make Vlad's most wonderful fantasies his worst nightmares.

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**Awake In Dreams**

"Dad, come on! I know you're all busy being sweet on Mom, but you promised," the boy said, the word "promised" practically whined as the teenager hugged the football to his chest. The boy's black hair ruffled in the wind, and bright blue eyes begged. "You and me and a football with no ghost stuff!"

Vlad stared at the boy calling him "Dad" and froze in place. His hand was wrapped around a disposable cup full of tea, squeezing tightly as he became aware of his surroundings. The sun shone brightly over their heads; the air smelled of flowers and warmth. Vlad glanced to the side, catching a quick peek at a shade umbrella and his summer home on the beach's hill.

Fiji. He was in Fiji.

"Daniel's right, honey bunny," the woman to his other side said, kissing Vlad on the cheek. Her auburn hair had been pulled back with a headband, and there was a streak of suntan lotion on her nose. She patted Vlad's hand with her own, and grinned. "You can spend time with me later tonight.

"Little Jazzy and I will be right here waiting for you both when you get back," Maddie said, rubbing the bump on her stomach. The rounded surface hid his future daughter; already named and only a few months from the world. "I've got reading to catch up with, anyway. So have some fun with your son!"

"Yes, dear. And I'll be sure to take you up on that promise of fun later," Vlad said, kissing the side of Maddie's giggling cheek. He crawled out of the beach chair, setting his cup on the side table. Daniel let out a jump and a holler with an exuberance he couldn't have possibly have received from Vlad or Maddie and turned to run toward the beach front. Vlad followed, forcing a smile on his face. "Wait up for daddy, Daniel. He's old."

"Ha! You're never letting me live that down, are you? I call you that once and it's all you joke about," Daniel said, turning over his shoulder and throwing the football. Vlad caught it without trouble, and tossed it back. Daniel grinned, and said, "But you're really not that old!"

Ah, yes. Vlad was dreaming.

Of all the oddities his ghost powers brought Vlad, Lucid Dreaming was by far the worst. Only full awareness of his situation could make Vlad's most wonderful fantasies his worst nightmares. There was no other way Vlad could describe it, really. Seeing your most cherished fantasies and desires come to reality, only to know that they're all a lie your mind created in your sleep stung in his chest in a way that even Daniel teasing him with "Give me a hug, New Dad" could not.

"You're spacing out, Dad," Daniel said, throwing the ball at his head. Vlad caught it with one hand and smirked. Daniel held his hands open for the return throw. "We're playing ball, here!"

"I'm on vacation, son. I'd hope I'm allowed to relax a little, mind included," Vlad said. He threw the ball back, aiming above the boy's head, and watched Danny jump up to catch it. "Good catch."

"Throw it much higher and I'm going to have to cheat and use my powers to get it that high," Daniel said, tossing it back.

"Hate for that," Vlad said. "Especially when I know you don't need them!"

No matter how he tried to immerse himself in the dream, forget life and pretend this was real for just those few hours that he slept on in his bed at night; Vlad couldn't forget reality. No amount of will would make Vlad believe that this wonderful dream where Daniel was his son and Maddie his wife was real. But he played along all the same, going through the motions. Acting the part.

Vlad learned long ago not to fight it.

Better to suffer quietly living out the things he couldn't have, than watch them distort and twist into a nightmare when his dream experienced rejection. He could hate it in his head all he wanted, but to slip up the act would destroy him. So Vlad stayed locked in his part, mind wandering as his body acted.

It was rather like being a prisoner; Dream Daniel his eternal warden.

"Hey Dad," Daniel said, throwing the ball again. Vlad caught, and threw it back. The motion repeated back and forth as they talked. Daniel asked, "Do I really have to go to that private school when we get back?"

"I thought we talked about that," Vlad asked. He hummed to himself, trying to remember the last dream that dealt with Daniel and school. Had they chatted about it? They must have at some point or he wouldn't be bringing it up. Vlad offered, "It'll be good for your education."

"Yeah, but my friends won't be there," Daniel said.

"I'm sure you can keep up with your friends using that laptop of yours," Vlad said. It amazed him that the Mason Girl and Foley Boy still managed to be friends with Daniel even in his own head. Perhaps Vlad wasn't quite the monster the real Daniel made him out to be. Vlad could be considerate! He tossed the ball back to Daniel and reminded the boy, "You talk with them enough as it is on that thing. I doubt much would change."

"It's not the same," Daniel whined. He held the ball, pouting and glaring at Vlad. "The school's like a three hour flight from Amity Park even with my ghost powers. I'll never get to see them in person!"

The test.

The wonderful game where Vlad had to figure out his own down to earth desires. Did he truly want an obedient son who did everything he asked? Or did he want Daniel to retain that burning, rebellious spirit of his? Vlad watched the boy's face carefully. The other half—what did his dream son want? Did he want a stern father, or one who catered to his every whim; spoiling him rotten.

Vlad chose the safe route; compromise and delay.

"Perhaps we should talk about this when we get home," Vlad suggested. He weighed his words carefully, and hoped they were as early in the summer as he imaged they were. "We still have time to work things out before the semester begins."

Daniel's eyes glowed green, and he dropped the football. The boy glared, "Just what kind of a dad are you?"

Vlad never passed that test.

"Your father," Vlad said, holding up a hand. He pointed a finger at Daniel in his most authoritative "Dad" gesture and continued. "One who is trying very hard to be sensitive to what you want, while still doing what's best for you."

"That's such bull, Dad," Daniel said, drawling out the "Dad" in such a way that Vlad knew the dream had already shifted. Vlad took a step back, as the backdrop of the sandy beaches faded away. Daniel stalked toward him, all fire and tempter. Licks of fire teased at the ends of his hands. "Come on! I'm a rebellious teenager! Shouldn't you know what's best and put me in my place? My friends are bad influences! Why would you even consider picking them over that school you and I spent all those weeks picking out together?"

They hadn't. Vlad often forgot the details of his dreams but there was no mistake: This was new information. Vlad hadn't dreamed that before. That was all his Dream Daniel acting on his own. Vlad swallowed; He misjudged.

"You just said you wanted what's best for me, and you go and say something wishy-washy like 'we'll talk on it later' like this is no big deal?" Daniel asked, anger dripping from each and every harsh word. "Are you my dad or are you not?"

These tests always came from Daniel. Never Maddie, never Jasmine in the few odd moments she arrived. Never from Jack's defeated form; never from his corpse. Always, always these came from Daniel.

"Are you my dad or aren't you!?" Daniel shouted. He twisted his hands into fists and the telltale glowing lights from his waist engulfed him. Daniel Masters disappeared; transformed into Daniel Phantom. The boy's voice echoed with the threat of Ghostly Wail. "Answer me!"

Daniel always cheated.

"I want to be," Vlad whispered. The dream dripped away around him, drowning in this freshly awakened nightmare in the form of his would-be child. It tore at his spirit, forcing truth when Vlad so desperately wanted to lie. Vlad held his hands out, arms open and inviting. "I want to be so badly, Daniel."

"It's a yes or no question, old man," Daniel hissed, eyes watering in some sort of twisted agony and hurt. He smacked away Vlad's open arms, and shoved at the older man's chest. Daniel shouted, "Stop dodging it!"

Vlad shook his head. It was too late, far, far too late. He could lie in the dream all he wanted, but not here. Never here, where his soul had been ripped open so wide in the dark expanse of this wretched nightmare and green eyes burning into him.

Vlad watched Daniel cry, and said, "No."

"Thought so," Daniel said. He disappeared; invisible. Daniel's lingering voice echoed around the empty, dark space. "Why don't you take a time out and think about your wrong answer?"

Daniel left.

Vlad took a step back, turning in the darkness. His breath amplified into a harsh breathing. The only sound in the room. Vlad turned, searching the empty space for any sign of life. He found none. Not a soul.

Vlad couldn't be alone. Not again. Not again!

"Daniel! Daniel come back! Please come back!" Vlad shouted into the emptiness. His heart pounded and his mind raced. "I'll do better! I swear! Come back!"

Silence.

Vlad took a step forward, and then another. He ran. Vlad had to get back to the damned dream. Back where it was safe and he could lie. Pretend. Vlad's foot missed the next step, and he tripped.

Vlad awoke to his face on his pillow. He pulled himself up, shifting the too clean sheets and holding his hand to his forehead. Vlad stayed in the bed, and counted to ten. His brow was dry, and he rubbed the side of his face. HIs loose hair fell around his shoulders, and he sighed hearing the breathing of the woman next to him.

"Dad!" Daniel said, popping his head into the bedroom door. "Get up! You slept in and we're gonna' be late for that meeting with the school advisor if you don't hurry."

"Just a minute, son," Vlad said, smiling bitterly. Still trapped. The nights never ended some nights it seemed. "Give daddy a second to freshen up."

"Okay," Daniel said. He grinned, showing off his teeth with that ear-to-ear grin. "Love you!"

The door clicked shut, and Maddie rolled onto her side in sleep. Vlad fell back against his pillow and stared at the ceiling above his head. Another Dream.

But at least Daniel had given him another chance.


	4. Dream Ball (PhannieMay15 Day 5)

**Phanniemay15 Day #5 - Dream**

_Dreams do come true! Decided to give a dream come true to my favorite DP Princess, Dora! Because she never got to go to the ball. *shakes fist*_

* * *

_Characters/Pairings:_ Danny Fenton &amp; Princess Dorathea (Friendship), Sam x Danny (Canon Based)

_Rating: _K+

_Summary: _The Valentine's Dance is coming up, and Danny's spending time in the ghost zone to practice asking Sam to go. Before Danny knows it, he's got a date and it's not quite the one he was expecting.

* * *

**Dream Ball**

"Sam, would you like to go to the dance with me?" Danny asked the nearest puff of green swirl. The floating ectoplasm didn't answer him of course, but Danny nodded all the same. "Great! Awesome! I'll pick you up around five then? Cause I figured we could get dinner before the dance and no! No, Danny! She'd already know that."

Danny covered his eyes with his palms and floated back. He stared up at the endless abyss of this empty corner of the Ghost Zone and huffed. "Why is this so hard?"

The Ghost Zone hummed around Danny as he floated there. There was no reason he couldn't just go up and ask Sam to the dance. It wouldn't even have to be a date! She went with Tucker when he asked for that last school event. Danny ruffled his hair and groaned. Valentine's Dance. Had to be a Valentine's Dance!

That almost immediately implied romance.

Which meant this would be a date. Which is why Danny was practicing asking in the Ghost Zone so Tucker couldn't tease him when he found out.

Danny pulled over another cloud to get his wording right one more time when he heard it: Crying.

Instincts taking over, Danny listened for the source of the tears. Deciding on the general direction, he flew over a few floating rocks and under a few doors before finding a small floating island. The crying grew louder, and he flew faster until he found himself under a bunch of apple trees growing from the rocks.

Sitting at the base of the largest tree, was Princess Dora of all people. She sobbed her eyes out, her hunched over shoulders shaking.

"Dora?" Danny asked, floating down next to her. "Are you okay?"

"Phantom?" Dora asked, looking over. She sniffed, and quickly rubbed away the tears around her eyes. "What are you doing all the way out here?"

"I was looking for someplace to be alone," Danny said. He glanced around and back to Dora's wet eyes. "If you were looking for the same, I can leave?"

"No," Dora said. She straightened out the bottom of her dress, and reached up to play with the pendant on her necklace. "It's alright. I was being silly."

Danny took a seat next to her and crossed his legs. "Want to talk about it?"

"I want to go to the ball," Dora whispered.

Danny blinked. "The ball?"

"The Princess Ball!" Dora said, standing up and shouting. "I want to go but my mummy still won't let me!"

"Is this the same ball you wanted to go to when we first met?" Danny asked, trying to think of the first time the dragon had appeared. She had been yelling about a dance, hadn't she? Danny crossed his arms. "Wait, I thought things were going better since you kicked Aragon off the throne?"

"My brother can't push me around any more, that's true," Dora huffed. She stomped her foot and growled. Her eyes glowed, as did her necklace, but there was no sign of a dragon change just yet. Dora threw her hands up. "But my parents are another matter altogether and they won't let me go to the ball!"

"Oh," Danny said, rubbing the back of his neck. "That's rough."

"I know I'm being petty, but I really want to go!" Dora said, turning around. She paced back and forth, steam coming from her nose as she threw up her arms. "I even have a dress and everything! But they keep saying I'm not allowed! It's not fair!"

"Why not?" Danny asked, floating up. "It's just a dance, right?"

"I wish I knew," Dora said, pouting. She sniffed and crossed her arms. The tears threatened to fall again and Danny sucked in a breath. "It's been my dream to go to a dance forever, but they keep saying 'no' and I can't fight against them like I can Aragon. So, I'm stuck and I have to miss this one, too. Again."

"Does it matter which dance you go to?" Danny asked, surprising himself at the offer. "I mean, if you just want to go to a dance my school is having one and I know you can disguise yourself as human, so there's no reason you can't go?"

"Are you asking me to go to the dance with you?" Dora asked, biting her lip to hide an amused smile.

But it was also a hopeful one.

"Yeah," Danny said, continuing on what was surely a bad idea. His insides screamed that he was supposed to be asking Sam to go. But his instincts were beating him over the head about the hopeful girl whose dreams he could help right now with an invite. "Would you like to go with me to my school dance?"

"Yes," Dora said, giggling. She clapped her hands and hopped on one foot. "I'd love to go! My first dance! I can't believe it!"

As Dora celebrated just off to the side, it hit Danny that he just asked a ghost to the dance.

And that Sam was going to kill him.

* * *

Sam could not believe she was at this dance.

Pink hearts were everywhere, sappy couples were drooling over each other, and Tucker had camped out near the punch bowl to look for other stag ladies that might have showed up.

Danny wasn't even there.

Sam straightened out her dress, and sipped the punch. She had honestly thought Danny had just kept getting cold feet about asking her to go. So Sam had helped herself with dressing up and going to pick up Danny only to find out he'd already left for the dance according to his parents. He'd left with some adorable blonde girl that was "Just the sweetest!" according to Danny's mother.

It was some mixture of anger, jealousy and curiosity that had Sam going to the dance alone. There was no way she was going to let some mystery girl steal her man! Friend. Her best friend.

Sam groaned, rubbing between her eyes. Valerie kept popping into her head with comments about another girl stealing Danny away if she didn't make a move. Sam always assumed Valerie was her only competition but now there's some blonde girl she had to look out for too?

Not that she liked Danny that way.

Sam walked to the snack table and poured a cup of punch.

Who was Sam fooling? She had a crush on Danny. She'd had a crush on Danny for nearly a year now and the only thing she felt right now was jealousy. That grew worse by the second the longer it took Danny to show up at the dance. He'd left his house a good twenty minutes before Sam showed up which meant he'd been out alone with this mystery girl for close to an hour an a half already!

"You keep glaring at that punch and you're going to light it on fire," Tucker said. He had a cup of his own and his suit was pressed. "I take it you haven't found Danny yet?"

"No," Sam said. She sipped the punch and glared at the sea of couples. "I hate to say it, but he might have lied to his parents about coming."

"Maybe he had a ghost to fight and just made a lie up on the spot?" Tucker shrugged.

"Then why wouldn't he tell us?" Sam asked. "And he apparently introduced them to some new blonde girl."

"I'm sure he'll explain everything when he gets here," Tucker said. "Relax."

"I'll relax when I see him," Sam said. She looked around the room and huffed. "Assuming he shows."

"Wow, did you see that girl Fenton was with?" Dash said to Kwan as he walked by. "How does a dork like that score a babe like that?"

"I don't know, man," Kwan said. "But there is no way she goes to our school, or we would have met her before. She could give Paulina and Star a run for their money!"

"Well," Tucker started as the two jocks past. "That might explain why he didn't let us meet her."

"Let's go find him," Sam said. She grabbed Tucker's arm and headed in the direction Dash and Kwan had come from. Sam shoved through the masses of teenagers looking for a familiar mop of black hair. "You see him?"

"Yeah, I see him," Tucker said. His jaw dropped and Sam followed his line of sight and hers did the same. Tucker whistled. "Wow."

Danny Fenton, dressed in his best suit, had on his arm a beautiful blonde girl. Her hair was pulled back in a braid over her shoulder, and she had crystal clear blue eyes. Her dress looked like it was straight out of one of Sam's mother's fashion magazines, and the corsage on her wrist matched the flower on Danny's lapel.

"Who the heck is she!?" Sam asked, crushing her cup of punch in her hand.

* * *

"Oh! Look at all the lovely decorations," Dora said, holding tight to Danny's arm. He had to admit, she looked great as a teenager. Danny had no idea she could adjust her disguise for age, but it was sure coming in handy now. Dora squeezed his arm. "Look at all the hearts!"

"Well, it is a Valentine's dance," Danny chuckled. He walked Dora through the room, and tried to ignore all the stares. Though, it was nice to be the center of attention for something other than being a dork or clumsy. "Having fun?"

"Yes!" Dora said. She tugged on Danny's arm and laughed. "Let's go dance!"

"After you!" Danny laughed. Dora's excitement radiated off her in waves, Danny felt he made the right choice asking her to come. After all, Sam would forgive him.

"Danny!" Sam shouted.

Or rather Danny hoped Sam would forgive him. He swallowed as his goth friend stomped over. She looked furious, and Danny hunched in on himself.

"Oh! It's Sam!" Dora exclaimed. She waved her arm and said, "Hello! It's so good to see you again!"

Sam stopped in her angry march and jerked. She stared for a full moment at Danny's date and asked, "Dora? Is that you?"

"Yes!" Dora said, still holding Danny's arm. She grinned wide and grabbed the edge of her dress to hold it out and show it off. "Danny asked me to a dance! Isn't this amazing? I've always wanted to go to a dance! This is a real dream come true!"

Danny nodded and rubbed behind his head. "I found out her parents wouldn't let her go to the Ghost Dance, so I figured why not invite her to this one?"

Sam's angry look vanished into something more knowing. They met eyes and she huffed, almost amused. "That's awfully nice of you, Danny."

"Well, it was the least I could do," Danny said.

"No, it really means a lot to me," Dora said, seriously. "Now come on! The night's still young and I want to do everything."

Dora dragged Danny out onto the dance floor, leaving Sam and Tucker behind. Her heels clacked on the ground as the students made way for the two of them as they passed by. She laughed, a sound Danny was growing more and more fond of, and grabbed Danny's hands as he pulled him to dance.

"I've got to warn you," Danny said. "I'm not very good at this."

"That's okay," Dora winked, placing one of Danny's hands on her waist. She held his other one and tugged him along to the music. "I've got sixteen hundred years of practice."

Danny found himself smiling in return and let Dora lead on the dance floor. This night was looking up and up all the time.

* * *

Sam sat on a chair at the edge of the wall. After finding out what had gone up with Danny, she had honestly considered leaving. Her best friend was doing a good deed, and there was nothing going on more than that. It's not like Danny was going to date Dora. She sipped punch and sighed.

Something kept her around. Maybe she didn't trust the whole "Danny had a Ghost Date" thing, or maybe she hoped someone else would ask her to dance. Whatever it was, the dance was almost over and Sam Manson was still there.

"Sam?" Dora asked, walking up to her side. Danny was nowhere to be seen and she had her arms behind her back. "May I sit here?"

Sam shrugged. "Sure, but where's Danny? Isn't he your date?"

"We're here as friends," Dora said. She sat next to Sam, pushing down her puffy dress. She smiled happily and cupped her hands on the bottom of her dress. "And I thought it might be time for a break, and just enjoy watching the dance."

"Oh?" Sam asked.

"Besides, I thought you might want a dance with him," Dora said. She leaned into Sam's ear and whispered. "After seeing the way you've been staring all night, I'm starting to think I might have stolen your date. It's only fair to give you a chance to steal him back, you know?"

"What? Date?" Sam said, blushing and waving her hands. "I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Are you sure?" Dora asked. "Because I'm more than happy to go back to keeping him company the rest of the night?"

"On second thought, I'm going to go find him," Sam said. She stood and looked around the room to find Danny talking with Tucker on the other side of the room. "And get that dance."

"I thought you might," Dora said. She waved and laughed. "Go have some fun."

Sam did just that. Finding Danny was easy, and getting a dance out of him was surprisingly easier. Poor guy was too exhausted to say no.

"Having fun babysitting the dragon Princess?" Sam asked, swaying with Danny to a light song. "She still seems pretty energetic."

"You have no idea," Danny said. He shook his head and looked at the roof. "If I knew it was going to be this exhausting, I would have fond her another date to drag around."

"Still though, that was nice of you Danny," Sam said. She squeezed his hand. "Dora seems really happy."

"Yeah, I noticed that, too," Danny said. "So it was worth it. You're not mad at me, are you?"

"Why would I be mad?" Sam huffed.

"Because I might have been thinking about asking you, and you might have assumed that I was going to, and that might have been ruined a bit when I found Dora crying in the Ghost Zone and asked her instead?" Danny rambled.

"Well, I was at first," Sam said, they turned in a circle and she sighed. "But it's hard to stay mad at a guy who's just helping someone out with their dreams."

"How about I owe you a rain check?" Danny asked, lifting an eyebrow.

"I'll take it," Sam laughed. She gave Danny a hug, and pushed him back toward Dora. The poor girl was now surrounded by every jock, geek, and other woman-loving student at the school. Sam bit her lip and and grinned. "Now go save your date before she's accosted by the rest of the student body."

* * *

"Thank you for a great evening, Phantom," Dora said, kissing Danny on the cheek. She let go of his hand and dropped her human disguise outside the Ghost Portal. She put her hands on her hips and smiled. "A whole night out and not a single emotional outburst! Now that's what I call a dance!"

"I'm glad you had a good time, Dora," Danny said. He opened the door and bowed. "Thank you for a lovely evening, my lady."

"Same to you, Sir Knight!" Dora giggled. She waved and disappeared through the portal. "Thank you for the wonderful memories!"

"Any time," Danny said. He shut the portal again and leaned against the wall. Now, it was time for a nap.

A long, long nap.


	5. Waiting Game (PhannieMay15 Day 11)

**Phanniemay15 Day #11 - GIRL POWER**

_Man, it's hard to narrow down the list of awesome ladies for someone to write about. They're all so great. Already done a lot of art and fic lately for my fav lady (Dora), so went with another great gal who's name starts with "D": Desiree._

* * *

_Characters:_ Desiree, Vlad Masters

_Rating:_ K+

_Summary:_ Desiree was a patient woman. Lonely, near all powerful, but patient.

* * *

**Waiting Game**

Most ghosts avoided Desiree.

It's not that they found her unappealing company, but more so most of them could never control their tongues well enough to be around her. When one is burdened with an obsession and gift that requires answering any form of "I wish" "I want" or "If only" with or without consent in such a way that may or may not be to their benefit, it was only natural that they steer clear in case of the latter. One false word, and a ghost could end up with more than they could chew on their plates. The burden of powers that followed a Monkey's Paw logic.

She saw them on Christmas, but otherwise was left to her own.

Granted, there were always exceptions.

"What do you want, Plasmius?" Desiree asked, relaxing on a decorative pillow. The older Halfa had let himself in to her lair, but at least had the sense to knock on a wall as he came in. She covered her eyes with her hand and smirked as she slunk into the cushion fabric. "Here to make another fake wish?"

"I think any wish made intentionally when concerning your powers is fake, isn't it?" Plasmius chuckled, striding into the room. His cape swished in the air as he stopped, waving slightly in the wind. "That is the wonderful nature of loop holes."

"And yet ever time you leave me wondering why you never ask for what you truly desire," Desiree said. She pulled down her hand and covered the bottom of her mouth. She sat up in her seat, shoulders straight and in charge in her domain. "I can bend any form of reality with a few words, and yet you come here time and time again and never ask."

"Ah, but that's my business, not yours," Plasmius said, the smile on his face growing more and more strained by the second. "And not why I come here."

"It'd be easy," Desiree reminded him. "I've completely rewritten reality before without a sweat. Only the wisher remembers other realities existed, and in this case that'd be you."

"You're trying to distract me," Plasmius said, the smile dropped. "I won't make that wish, not when you want me to so badly. Makes me wonder what you get from it."

"Fair point." Desiree shrugged, and twirled a finger in the air. She drew a small puff of ectoplasm smoke in the air, circling it round and round. "And that's my business."

It was common knowledge that Desiree gained powers from wishes. The more wishes, the more power. Easy math.

Uncommon knowledge: The strength of power she gained from each wish was proportionate to the happiness of the wisher.

As Desiree usually twisted people's wishes into horrific outcomes that did anything but make them happy out of bitter spite, her power boosts were often quite small. Thus her long time plan for quantity over quality.

But making Vlad Masters happy? Mr. Misery himself? Bring that man joy by granting his obsession, and his heart's desires to their fullest?

Desiree's power would rival that of Clockwork and Pariah Dark.

But he was a stubborn, smart man and instinct alone seemed to keep him from the one thing Desiree wanted from him: The perfect wish.

If she was anything, however, Desiree was patient. He'd grow desperate enough in time. Everyone broke when it came to asking for their wish. Everyone. But until then, Desiree would humor Mr. Masters.

"If you're not here for a personal wish," Desiree said, changing her circle to a triangle. Vlad watched her instead of the shifting clouds, the ever present frown continuing to cover his face. "What is it you desire instead?"

"Was hoping you'd be interested in stirring up a little chaos," Plasmius said, holding his hand up. He grinned, showing off his rather elongated fangs and continued. "Less of a wish, and more of a nudge, really."

"And what's in it for me?" Desiree asked, tapping her finger on the side of her cheek.

"A way out of the Ghost Zone undetected for starters," Plasmius said, of course indicating permission to leave via his own. Desiree considered, that was a single good perk. She waved her finger, indicating for him to up the ante. Plasmius caught on and offered, "The second would be a guarantee that Phantom won't be bothering you while you work."

"Oh?" Desiree asked. She raised an eyebrow, and continued to tap her cheek lightly. "I thought for sure when you asked for a distraction, it'd be to distract him."

"No, I'll be dealing with Phantom while you cause a little chaos elsewhere," Plasmius said. He crossed his arms, pulling his cape around them, much like the Vampire he had modeled his look after. "For once, this has very little to do with him and I'd rather he not show up and save the day."

"So your offer is to use your portal free of charge, assuming I camp and grant wishes in the location you suggest?" Desiree asked. She hummed. "Why don't you just wish for that and guarantee I do it?"

"Because for now I'd rather stay in your good favor," Plasmius said. "The one who grants the wish isn't the only one who remembers now are they?"

Thoughts of being sucked into a thermos, or being forced to undo all her hard work against her will both popped to mind. Desiree huffed. He wasn't wrong. She would hold it against him if he made her do his dirty work against her will.

"I suppose that isn't too bad," Desiree said. "Granted, I'm not sure how me granting wishes and causing chaos would benefit you personally. And we both know you don't ask for anything unless it benefits you in some way."

"Fair inquiry," Plasmius said. He dropped his cape, holding both arms out with a casual shrug. He looked like a guilty school boy with the way he grinned. "I have some business associates who could use the kick to the face, and you're the least likely ghost I know to kill them all on sight. Besides, I find the irony of their wishes destroying them far more satisfying than scaring them witless."

Desiree laughed. She floated up and stretched her arms over her head. "And let me guess, it's over something dumb and petty?"

"Been known to take revenge for less, I'll admit," Plasmius said, nodding his head in agreement. "Someone weaseled there way in on a business deal, stealing a contract from me. What can I say? I'm a bit resentful and far too busy these days to deal with it like I would in the past.

"It's in my best interest that they're all taken down a peg, and out of everyone i know you're the most subtle, funnily enough," Plasmius said. "The varied nature of your magic leaves people who aren't in the know looking in far too many directions to catch you, let alone guess 'ghost' soon enough to call idiots like the Fentons or Guys in White. It's quite convenient."

"I suppose I could help you out," Desiree said. She pulled her arms behind her back and continued stretching. She could use the work out, and her power had felt a little low lately. Why waste the opportunity to get a strength boost? "And your portal does guarantee I don't get too distracted by wishes that I don't make it out of Amity Park and Phantom's range."

"The best deals are always mutually beneficial," Plasmius said. He dropped his hands next to his side and floated in the air. "I'm glad you seem to be up for it, my dear. Saves us both so much trouble."

"Suppose it does," Desiree said. She flew over, and circled Plasmius once. She grinned and just had to ask. "But before we go, and you drop me off wherever for your petty bickering, I do have to ask: Are you sure there's no little wish I can grant for you?"

"Positive," Plasmius said, backing up from her. He swallowed, his eyes averting to the side. He thought of it. Desiree grinned, smug and satisfied. The wish was formed. He'd say it. Maybe not today, but he would. It was in his head, now. Plasmius, sensing her inner victory, turned and headed for her door. "Your cooperation in this issue is all well enough."

"Suit yourself," Desiree said.

She followed him as he left, flying calmly behind him as they passed through the Ghost Zone. Plasmius kept a straight face, but she could see the gears turning in his head. The desire growing.

As badly as he wanted that woman and that ghost boy, it was only a matter of time. He'd make that wish. Desiree would get her power.

But until then, she appreciated the company and the promise of chaos.


	6. Raise (PhannieMay15 Day 14)

**Phanniemay15 Day #14 - Under Appreciated**

_I was wracking my brain for someone for under appreciated that I hadn't already seen yet, and wasn't Vlad's Vultures. Came up with the Guys In White. XD_

* * *

_Characters:_ Guys In White. I am naming them #19 and #47 to coordinate with their first and last appearance in the series. Which one is which can be up to you. ;D

_Rating_: K+

_Summary:_ The Guys in White deserve a raise.

* * *

**Raise**

"For all we go through, you'd think they'd appreciate us a little more," #19 said, sipping his soda at the Nasty Burger. He slammed his hand on the table and yelled. "All this work on our own and not so much as a hint of a raise!"

"Agreed," #47 said. He pushed his leftover hamburger wrapper across the tray and leaned back in the seat. "We're stationed in Ghost Central and they don't even send back up. We could use a few more guys in here!"

"But they won't," #19 said. "Because they don't appreciate how much work we do. They think it's a piece of cake tracking down all those ghosts!"

"I'd like to see them say that after a week here dealing with the Fentons and that Ghost Boy," #19 added. He crossed his arms and nodded his head. "The Fenton Family alone would have them giving us promotions for hardship endured!"

"That's what I'm talking about," #47 replied. He huffed. "We saw what? One ghost a year if we were lucky before we got stationed here?"

"Affirmative," #19 replied. "If that."

"And now, you and I by ourselves," #47 pointed back and forth between the two of them, "have to deal with an attack a day! And with high ranking ghosts none the less!"

"Like Phantom," #19 said, growling. "We don't get paid enough to put up with him."

"Not even close."

#19 sniffed and stared out the window. "But someone's gotta do this job."

"Affirmative," #47 said in response. A ghost flew by the window and he grabbed his gun from his side holster. "Someone has to protect the people of this town."

"Ready partner?"

"Ready. Let's lock and load."


	7. Twenty Years Exp (PhanMay15 Day 19)

**Phanniemay15 Day #19 - Time**

_Ug. Having a hard time with this theme. (Pun intended. This is the Danny Phandom Phandom after all!) But, this is what I've got. And yes, going with the "Ghosts are all Dead People" head canon because it's better than the actual canon that they're Ectoplasmic Monsters from another universe. XD Anyway. Here's old guys hanging out._

* * *

Characters: Vlad Masters, The Vultures

Rating: K+

Summary: Time's a funny thing, comparatively speaking. Vlad contemplates such things with company.

* * *

**Twenty Years Experience**

Vlad had twenty years of experience as a ghost. He used that power to mock young Daniel at every opportunity. And if not to mock, than hopefully entice the young lad into his care to learn more.

Not that the boy needed it much as of late.

Plasmius may have Phantom beat when it came to raw strength, but when it came to talents and skills there was less and less he could hold over the boy these days. Daniel's growing arsenal of tricks that Vlad had yet to learn, such as his ice tricks and the Ghostly Wail, were a sore in his side that he couldn't get rid of. It had taken Vlad years to learn everything he knew. Daniel'd almost caught up to him and it had only been one.

So much in so little time.

And all Vlad could hold over his head right now was power and teleporting.

Vlad sunk into the plush cushion of his home office, hand wrapped around the glass of ginger ale on his desk. Time. It kept ticking away.

If Daniel managed to learn that last one, or continued to boost his power, Vlad would have nothing to sway him with.

And Vlad had thought he was the one doing well! In twenty years he'd become one of the most frightening and powerful Ghosts in the Ghost Zone. Vlad had been so proud of how much he'd learned, and how much raw potential he had in such a short time.

Twenty years was a blink of an eye to ghosts who had been dead and learning their crafts for thousands of years. Even the more talented ones like that Bad Luck Boy and the Pop Singer who had gained their skills were nothing compared to Vlad and what he had.

And now Daniel had turned around and done the same to him. Learned a lifetime's achievement in a fraction of the time.

A literal blink to the Ghosts who were in the two thousands.

"You keep drinking like that and by the time you're two thousand and eight, you'll be in worse shape than we are," the oldest of the Vultures said, sitting on the back of Vlad's chair. His two companions followed him through the wall, and sat in the room. Vlad groaned and sipped from his glass.

"It's ginger ale," Vlad said, rubbing the side of his head. "Did you need something?"

"Nah, just feeling cooped up," the Vulture laughed. He shook his feathers out and grinned. "Get it? Cooped up! Like a bird. Come on. These are the jokes here!"

"I'm hardly in a laughing mood," Vlad said.

He finished off his glass and considered going for an actual drink. If he was to be accused of drunkenness, perhaps he ought to give them actual reason to think it. Vlad tilted the cup to the side, as a thought popped into his head.

"When I'm two thousand and eight?" Vlad asked, chuckling lightly as he tipped the empty glass over. "You think I'll make it that long?"

"Don't take this the wrong way," The one Vulture said, huffing and flicking the side of Vlad's head with his feathers. "But you've got one foot in the door already. I'd be more shocked if you didn't go full ghost when the reaper comes knocking."

"Suppose that's a valid point," Vlad said. He laced his fingers together and placed them on his waist. He stuck both of his feet out and crossed them at the ankles. Sinking into the depths of his chair, he turned his head to stare at his shelves of books. "I wonder if I get to keep all the perks I've learned as a Halfa, or if the slate will be wiped clean again."

"Who knows?" The vulture shrugged. The bird shivered and shook out its wings. "Might not even remember that little name of yours, Plasmius. It's different for everybody."

Now there was a thought. A total restart. No Maddie. No Jack. No Daniel. Just, a brand new creature floating about with a new purpose.

Vlad half wondered what his obsessions might be if he had nothing but his inner core to guide him.

He shook his head and closed his eyes.

Best not to dwell on such thoughts. He might lose focus on the here and now. And his time was slipping away after all. Daniel would surpass him soon, and then, then what? Let alone losing his chance at a son, but surely his plans for killing Jack would be lost as well. If Daniel grew that powerful, his protective instincts would follow.

"Sometimes I wonder if I'd been younger when it all happened, if I'd be progressing as fast as Daniel is right now," Vlad said absently. The Vultures listened, and he continued. "Children do absorb knowledge so much faster, and all that youthful energy to guide him."

The Vulture above him snorted and flapped his wings. "Don't go bringing up bad thoughts like that. You're scary enough already."

"I don't even want to think about all the crazy things you'd be up to if you had that kinda energy," another piped up.

"Yeah," the third said. "Bad enough thinking that you might even be worse as a full ghost in the future! Let alone thinking about alternate scenarios!"

"Bad for you, good for me," Vlad said, tilting his head back and forth, stretching the muscles there. He licked the side of his teeth and laughed. "But worry not, my fowl-feathered minions. I have no intention of joining the other side of the Ghost Zone any time soon.

"I rather like the blood flowing in my veins, if you don't mind," Vlad said. He pulled his legs under the chair and stood up, his head phasing through the intangible Vulture still sitting on the chair backing. He stretched and cracked his spine. "Besides, I've got quite a few years left to go. Surely at least another twenty years experience awaits me before I join the beyond."

"Only twenty?" The vulture snorted. "Planning on kicking the bucket in your sixties? Not trying to reach a little higher there?"

Vlad snorted with a laugh. He stretched his arms over his head and activating the transformation to go from simple Vlad Masters, to the powerful and dominating Vlad Plasmius. He brushed fake dust off his cape shoulder.

"Please," Plasmius said, grinning wide and feeling his fangs brush against the sides of his lips as he did so. "At the rate that boy Daniel is trying to give me a heart attack, I'll be lucky if I make it to fifty. He's already making my white hair whiter by the day."

"And he's not even your kid yet!" The vulture laughed.

Plasmius sent a ghost ray at his head and he scrambled to fly off the back of the couch.

"Hey! Hey! We're all just teasin' here!" The Vulture said. "Jeesh. You've lost your sense of humor. You sure you're not an old man yet?"

"Very funny," Plasmius said. He clapped his hands together and floated off the floor. He phased through the side wall and flew down to his lab. "Come on then. I've had enough moping around. Time's escaping me even as we speak!"

"Time for what?" A Vulture asked, swooping down beside him.

"I'm not sure yet," Plasmius said. He cracked his knuckles and opened his ghost portal. "But I'm sure we'll find something fun to do. The night's still young, after all."

"Now you're talking, boss!" The Vulture cackled. "Give our old bones something to do."

"You don't have bones," Plasmius said, snorted.

"Well right now, neither do you," The Vulture mocked, flying first into the portal. The other two followed laughing.

Plasmius rolled his eyes to the back of his head and sighed. Idiots. All of them were idiots. But, perhaps it would benefit him to stay on their good side. They were his minions, true, but time was still moving.

And Daniel did have it out for him.

Should Vlad become Plasmius permanently before his time, it might not hurt to have one or two who thought of him fondly.

Should he not remember.

Should all his experience and time on this earth be lost.

Plasmius flew through the portal and followed the three birds. He teleported ahead into the center of their group and laughed as they scattered and cursed his name as they flew out of the way. Plasmius looked ahead, and scanned for any new and interesting sights in the ghost zone.

Who had time to worry about time?


	8. Playing Favorites (PhannieMay15 Day 22)

**Phanniemay15 Day #22 - Favorite**

_This was sadly the first thing that came to mind when I heard the prompt. Heh. Turned out a little short, but I like it._

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Characters: Jazz Fenton &amp; Familly

Rating: K+

Summary: Jasmine is the favorite child. No one knows that better than she.

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**Playing Favorites**

Jasmine's parents played favorites.

She took the book down from the shelf in her room as her mother and father cornered Danny on the couch. He'd missed his curfew the same day he'd failed another test. Needless to say, their parents weren't happy. Jasmine had already figured out herself why Danny had happened to do both, but all the same.

Danny was in trouble again. He was always in trouble.

Jasmine longed to interrupt the conversation and defend Danny, but for once there was nothing she could say. She couldn't come out and say "Danny failed his test because he left class to fight a ghost that kept him busy until long after curfew!" without giving him away. So he was stuck.

It didn't raise his standing in Mom and Dad's eyes, however.

"Jasmine doesn't cause this trouble," her mother said. Jasmine flinched as she turned the page of her book at the kitchen table. She pursed her lips and tried to keep her heart from pounding at Danny's flinch at the comparison. "I'm not saying you have to come home with her grades Danny, but it's like you're not even trying!"

Mom and Dad were always comparing them. Jasmine was the favorite child; Danny was the project. That's how it had always been.

Jasmine knew her parents didn't mean to do it. In fact, some days they were both very much aware and overcompensated by trying to smother Danny in affection. A mother-son camping trip. Father-son fishing. Little sporadic moments where they became aware of their own actions and focused on Danny.

They came too few and too far in between, however. Because those big moments couldn't fight years of "way to go Jasmine! Valedictorian!" and "Why can't you be like your sister? She's first in everything!" Jasmine sighed. Hell, as she thought back, her parents even suspected Jasmine of being the ghost first.

"I'm worried about you, Danny boy!" Her father said. He rubbed the back of his hair and huffed. "You won't be able to even help us with ghost hunting in the future if you're on drugs or something. Is it drugs?"

"It's not drugs," Danny groaned, covering his face. She heard her little brother sigh and shift in the seat. Jasmine flipped another page as he groaned. "I just, I don't know."

"Why don't you just talk to us, Danny?" Her mother said. "We can talk it out. Why, when Jasmine was having trouble sleeping, she came straight to us and we got her a night light! If she can trust us, why can't you?"

Another comparison.

"Maybe because I'm not Jazz!" Danny shouted. "And this has nothing to do with trust, okay? I don't know why I'm screwing up so badly. Okay! Can we please stop talking about this?"

Another heartbreak.

Jasmine closed her book as the three of them devolved into an argument. Something she'd heard before. Over and over. She set the book on the table.

"Fine, Danny," their mother sighed. "We're done for today, but if this behavior continues we'll keep having this conversation as many times as it takes."

"I know," Danny said. He slumped in the couch.

Mom shook her head and tugged on Dad's sleeve. "Come on, Jack. Let's go finish up in the lab."

"Coming," Jack said. He looked at Danny and sighed. "You know we love you, right?"

"Yes," Danny said, staring at the couch.

"Oh, good," Jack said. He passed by Jasmine and gave her a big bright smile before following Mom down the stairs. She caught him say, "At least one of our kids has it all together" just as the door closed.

Jasmine watched her brother from the side, and stood slowly from the table. She walked over to the couch, and crossed her arms. "Danny?"

"I really, really don't want to be psychoanalyzed right now, Jazz," Danny said. He watched the side table and crossed his arms. He huffed. "Or another lecture."

"You know you're my favorite little brother right?" Jasmine asked, biting the edge of her lip. "No matter what?"

"I'm your only little brother," Danny said, glancing over.

"That is a moot point," Jasmine said. She ruffled Danny's hair and kissed the top of his head. "Because even if I had a hundred little brothers, I'm pretty sure you'd still be the favorite."

"Hah," Danny said, pushing her hand off his head and squirming away. "Liar."

"Believe what you want, Danny, but it's true," Jasmine said. She patted the back of the couch before walking upstairs. "Don't stay up too late."

"Same for you," Danny said. He stayed where he was on the couch, and his slumped shoulders seemed to bear all of the weight he kept inside. "Wouldn't want you to ruin your perfect attendance record."

Jasmine shook her head and walked up the stairs slowly, and went into her room. She fell back on her bed and stared at the ceiling.

"Don't worry, Danny," Jasmine said to herself. "Big Sister's going to look out for you."


	9. Story Time (PhannieMay15 Day 26)

**Phanniemay15 Day #26 - Stories**

_Wanted to try something a little creepy~ Vlad was the perfect candidate. Besides, he's fun when he gets serious. This fic ignores Season 3. Those episodes sort of retconned "Games are over; I'm terrifying now" Vlad from "Kindred Spirits", and that just won't do for this. :D_

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Characters: Vlad Masters &amp; Danny Fenton

Rating: PG for Violence; Suffocation.

Summary: Vlad has a story to tell, and it's a story he really thinks Daniel would appreciate.

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**Story Time**

Danny woke up with a start; the quick intake of breath and the stop of the heart.

He sat up, his head pounding. Danny found blankets bunched at his waist, and pulled them up as he stuck his feet over the side of the mattress. Danny wiped the sweat off his brow, his face and limbs sticky with it. The room was muggy and hot, and his hair was as damp as his shirt. Danny's powers were still far beyond his reach, and he felt a new bruise on his side.

The impact site of his dose of Plasmius Maximus.

Vlad. It had been Vlad.

Danny's bare feet hit the floor.

Danny had been on patrol and then—something. The shock. Pain. Danny tugged on the edge of his hair trying to remember. There had been a blow, and electricity. Danny mostly remembered the pain and his scream as something hit him; striking him down. His powers had been locked from his body. When he knew it had to be Vlad that hit him.

Danny tugged at his shirt, and pulled out the unfamiliar fabric. He was wearing pajamas, long and flannel. They bunched slightly around his feet, and the arm sleeves were an inch too long. They were thick and heavy and far too hot for the temperature of the room. The colors were yellow and green. Packers' colors. Danny shivered and held his arms around himself, even under the heat of the clothes. Even if he hadn't guessed who his attacker was from the Plasmius Maximus, the pajamas would have given him away.

But where had Vlad taken him? Danny took a few steps, drowsy and swaying. He yawned into his hand before slapping both his cheeks. He needed to wake up. Figure out where he was and how he could get out before Vlad showed his face.

Danny took stock of his surroundings, shoving the sleeves of the pajamas up as he struggled to see in the dark room. A small red nightlight was in the outlet on the corner, his only real guide. The bedroom was plain and lacking the colors that decorated the rest of Vlad's castle, that much he could tell even in the dark. Cream sheets, a dark blue blanket, and all of the wood matched in the same dull brown.

Functional and simple.

It was a far cry from Danny's room at home, that was covered in his dirty laundry and space paraphernalia. The walls here were blank and foreign.

Boring.

And there were no doors or windows.

Danny felt his hand on the wall, searching for any bump or indication that a door had been there and plastered over. If all else failed, maybe he could smash in the drywall. There had to be something in this room he could use, or if it came down to it, Danny would risk the bloodied knuckles and elbows.

"Ah, now what are you doing up at this hour?" Vlad asked, phasing through the wall on the far side of the room. He was still dressed as Plasmius, and the glare of his red eyes zeroed in on Danny. He waved a finger in the air, and shook his head, "Tsk, tsk. Don't you know that all good boys should be in bed by ten? It's far past two in the morning!"

"Vlad," Danny hissed. He stomped across the room, but made sure to stay out of arm's reach. "Where am I? Let me out!"

"Maybe you were restless," Vlad said. He waved his finger in the air, and a soft pink light glowed from the tip.

"Hey!" Danny felt his feet leave the floor and his eyes widened as the rest of his body followed. Vlad learned telekinesis? Danny thought to himself as he turned upside down. His breath quickened as he was floated gently across the room and dropped back onto the bed with a hard thump against the mattress. Danny yelled, "What do you want, Vlad!?"

"Let me guess, son," Vlad said, continuing on as if Danny had said a word. He held a hand over his chest, clutching to his cape and wrapping it around himself. Vlad cooed, "Nightmares? You do have them so often."

"If your goal is to creep me out, you're winning," Danny said, kneeling on the comforter. He held his hands into fists and breathed heavily in the heat of the room. Vlad walked around the oven like he felt nothing. "What do you want?"

"You know what always helped me with nightmares, son?" Vlad continued. He clapped his hand together and grinned, showing off the tips of his canines. "A story! Always put me right to sleep."

"Are you listening to me?" Danny asked, growling. What was the game here? Danny's palms sweat, and he rubbed his fingers together as Vlad pulled over a chair to the side of the bed. "I'm talking to you!"

"A bedtime story is just what you need," Vlad said. A quick of the wrist threw the bedcovers back over Danny, slamming him into the mattress on his side. He squirmed, trapped between the two layers of the comforter, his head near the corner edge of the mattress and his feet kicking the blankets on the end near the pillows. Vlad took a seat in the chair, keeping his hand up and the telekinetic blanket trap active. "But which story should I tell you? You've got so many that you love, it's hard to decide."

"Vlad!" Danny shouted. The harder he pushed against the bed, the tighter the blankets compressed. He shoved his wet forehead against the blanket, and twisted to no avail. Without his powers, he had no chance. "Let me go!"

"Ah yes!" Vlad said, chuckling. His tone was almost joyful, and out of place as Danny struggled to breathe between the heat and the pressure. Vlad hummed in near delight. "I know just the one. You'll like this one, Daniel, I know you will."

Danny grit his teeth, forcing himself to clam down. He needed to use his head and think this through. Danny could still get out of this somehow!

"Once upon a time, there was a great big kingdom," Vlad said, holding his hands up. His eyes widened and his voice lifted as he told the story in a grand fashion. He reminded Danny of an over eager parent trying to entertain their toddler. It made his stomach sink and his eyes widen. Vlad continued, "And in that kingdom was a young man. Do you know what his name was?"

Danny grunted and shook his head. He wasn't playing this game. He absolutely was not playing this game.

"His name was Vladimir," Vlad continued, holding his finger up. His lip twitched in a smile, and Danny felt like throwing up. Vlad's voice changed, into something hardened. Something dangerous. And it was Plasmius that continued the story. "And he was very lonely, and very bitter. Do you know why?"

"He couldn't take 'no' for an answer and ruined his own life trying to make people do things against their will?" Danny growled, unable to stay silent even as his heart raced and new beads of sweat grew on his brow.

His mouth always did have a mind of his own.

"That's right! Vladimir had lost his wife and child," Plasmius said, lowering his shoulders and shaking his head. He spoke to the room more than he did to Danny. Plasmius's fangs flashed in the dark, lit by his ghostly glow. "So tragic. A great monster from the east, a giant, had taken them away. He devoured the wife, and raised the child as his own. He tried so very hard to take his revenge on the giant and bring his son home, but he was stopped at every turn. The giant was too big, stupid, and strong to defeat, and his son's mind too poisoned to bring home. All was lost and poor Vladimir was devastated, for all of his days."

"There are so many things wrong with you and this story I can't even begin to start," Danny said.

"But one day," Plasmius said, placing both of his feet on the ground. He stood up from his chair and began to pace around the room, never once letting go of his ectoplasmic hold on the blanket constraining Danny to the bed. "Young Vladimir found hope! He found a witch and begged her on his hands and knees for a way to have a family again. To replace what he had taken from him. She resisted, but after much badgering, told him of magic flowers that would let him grow a new son just like his old one! He could never see his wife again, but if he could have his son back—well, then he'd have a little piece of her, too, wouldn't he?

"Vladimir took the seeds home and grew them," Plasmius said, holding his arms out. Danny watched him pace around, and looked for another exit in the room. "Unable to risk it not working, he planted not one but five! And they grew and grew and before Vladimir knew it, he had five children! They weren't perfect, but they were his.

"However," Plasmius paused for dramatics. He pulled both ends of his cape to his chest, and he whispered, "They were all very sick."

"Like you?" Danny asked.

"Three of them died in their beds," Plasmius said, raising a hand to the ceiling. He dropped his cape and gripped his hand into a fist. "Too weak and frail to continue. But he still had two left, a young girl and a forever sleeping son, and he cherished them."

"Yeah, I know exactly how well you cherished Dani when you left her to melt!" Danny yelled. He clawed at the bed sheets and hissed. "And too weak and frail? Try pushed the limit until they died!"

"But those two would not last long," Plasmius said. He turned back toward the bed and strolled toward it, his cape flowing behind him. "For you see, one day while Vladimir was out tending to his work, his Lost Son came home on the Giant's orders to torment young Vladimir. Seeing the children who had replaced him, the Lost Son grew angry and jealous. In a fury, he used twisted words to turn the daughter against her father. She rebelled and ran away to never be heard from again. But the sleeping son, oh, this first child could not stand him. Too alike.

"Vladimir's eldest murdered the other in his bed," Plasmius said, sitting on the edge of the mattress. He placed his hand in Danny's damp hair, and squeezed his fingers together. Danny had enough time to suck in a breath before Plasmius shoved Danny's face into the mattress, cutting off his air. "Suffocated him."

Danny's eyes went wide, his mouth and nose shoved so hard into the fabric of the blanket that he could smell the dust on the sheets. He couldn't breathe. The telekinesis held his body still. Plasmius' fingers in his hair; Plasmius' ectoplasmic energy all around him. Danny couldn't breathe. Vlad Plasmius wouldn't let go. He wouldn't stop. Danny screamed in his head, begging and pleading that the man would let go. That he would stop.

But he didn't. Plasmius continued to hold Danny's face into the mattress; Suffocating him.

Danny whined in his throat, tears building in his eyes. Thinking hurt. Everything hurt. He twisted, writing on the mattress. His lungs on fire in the heated room.

"Poor thing," Plasmius said, sighing deeply and rubbing his thumb in a circle on the side of Danny's face. The man crossed his legs, and leaned his chin on the back of his other hand. "When Vladimir came home and found him that way, he sobbed for days. The agony was too great for his heart. The poor man had broken."

Tears rolled down Danny's cheeks. He was going to die. Plasmius was going to kill him. Danny was going to die. Vlad was going to kill him. He was going to die. Breathing. He wanted air. To live! Danny's throat bobbed, his shoulders heaved. This was it. Danny's heart thumped in his chest, erratic and desperate. His vision went in and out and all he could feel was the grip of Plasmius' fingers on his head and the crushing weight that surrounded him.

Danny was going to die.

"On the fifth day of tears, the witch came back to visit Vladimir," Plasmius said. He twisted his fingers in Danny's hair and pulled his face up from the mattress. Danny gulped down the air greedily, his neck bent at an odd angle. His heavy breathing filled the room, echoing everywhere as white spots danced in his vision. Plasmius continued, "Vlad asked her, 'Why? Why did you bring me those seeds if this was going to happen? Why give me a second chance?' And she looked at him and responded, 'To teach you a lesson.'

" 'Those children were not yours! They were fakes! Look how jealous your son got when he saw them! So hurt that you could replace him with those seeds!' She yelled. Vladimir cowered before her, his eyes opening as much as his mind with her words. 'They would never be good enough,' The witch said. 'And your son is still in the boy you Lost. Go get him back.' A new energy filled young Vladimir, and he left to get his son back."

Plasmius let go of Danny's head, dropping his entire body into the mattress. The telekinesis faded away, freeing Danny from Plasmius' hold. The world spun around him, and Danny struggled to sit up, shoving off the heavy blanket. He swayed, his mind still dizzy from the lack of air and his limbs shaking from the constriction. He knocked into Vlad as he stumbled, falling on his side, but the older man didn't seem to mind.

"Vladimir traveled to the Giant's home and found his boy, still hurt and aching from being replaced. It hurt his heart more than anything to see his boy suffering, but you see, it was also for the best. That ache was enough. It was the wedge Vladimir needed to break his son free from the Giant's poisonous words. Vladimir told the boy of how he was stolen. Of how his rightly place was with the father who truly loved him, and not the giant," Plasmius said, his voice hollow and open as he recited the end of the story. His earlier dramatics had drained away to a sobering, dulcet tone. "As he spoke, the boy's memories came flooding to the front of his mind and he knew what Vladimir said was true. He sobbed, hugging his father and begging for forgiveness."

Danny stared at the ceiling of the room, his lungs and heart both still pounding. He felt the heat of Plasmius sitting so close. The burning of the room and his chest.

"The father did," Plasmius said. He leaned back, placing his hand flush with Danny's side and humming at the ceiling. "The Lost Son came home with Vladimir, no longer lost. And they lived happily forever after for the rest of their days."

Danny sat up, his shoulder brushing Plasmius' back. He focused on breathing. Danny could breathe. He was okay.

"Now wasn't that a good story, Daniel?" Plasmius asked. He turned and grabbed the side of Danny's face, turning his head to the side to look into his own red burning ones. "And it should be a comfort to you. Perhaps it'll chase away all those nightmares that are keeping you awake, my boy."

"What part?" Danny hissed, rolling on his side and shoving Plasmius' hand off his face. He sat up and hissed. "Because I heard a lot of lies."

"There were no lies. Just as Vladimir in the story forgave his son for all his wrong doings to take him back, so do I," Plasmius said. He grabbed the side of Danny's head again, his fingers wrapping deep into the hair at the nape of his neck. He shoved their foreheads together and grinned nose to nose. The wicked smile split his face, and the madness in Plasmius' eyes kept Danny in place. Kept him listening as Plasmius rambled. "I understand now, I do. You were jealous. Oh, so jealous, weren't you? That I'd try and replace you with those clones. I should have known better, I should have.

"But I've thought about it, and I know now. It wasn't your fault. You're so young, and your mind so poisoned by Jack that you didn't know any better." Plasmius said, bringing his other hand up to cup the other side of Danny's face. His hold was iron hot, and licks of electricity danced at his finger tips. Danny winced as they nipped at the side of his cheeks, but dared not to move as the grip on his face pulsed, tightening and loosening in an erratic rhythm. Plasmius rubbed his thumbs on Danny's cheeks. His voice was a whisper, "I forgive you, Daniel."

Danny stilled, not even shivers escaping as he paled and his breath hitched.

"So have a good night, and get all the sleep you can," Vlad said, all hints of Plasmius' terror flickering away. It was Vlad that got up from the bed, and waved his hand to throw the blanket back over Danny's head. "Because tomorrow is going to be a brand new day, my son."

Danny clutched to the blankets, his breath still pounding in his chest as he was left alone in the room.


End file.
